Members of the Wagstaffe-Killcare Community Association have acknowledged the eight-year contribution of outgoing president Ms Peta Colebatch.

Ms Colebatch recently stepped down, with Mr Mike Allsop taking on the role as president.

"Peta would be the first to acknowledge that the visible and not so visible symbols of achievement for the Association are always a team effort by the committee and volunteers," said member Ms Gaye Follington in the Association's newsletter.

"In the eight years that Peta was president community assets have grown and our community continues to value and protect our natural scenic assets of bush, beach and bay.

"With Peta at the wheel, some of the visible installations the Association has funded are the children's enclosure and dinosaur at the tennis court, the soccer net and the fitness equipment at Turo Park and on the green near the surf club, the two seats dedicated to Gwen Perrie and Richard Harper on the Dog Track and to Tom Jackson at the hall, the swing set at the Stanley St Park, and the carved poles positioned near the ferry.

"The wonderful whale tables followed.

"Peta hosted the community party put on by the Association following the fire at Pretty Beach in October 2012, to thank the local firemen who, with brigades from other places, controlled the fire before major damage was done.

""Peta liaised with the Killcare-Wagstaffe Fire Service, Killcare Surf Club and Pretty Beach Public School and these organisations benefited by collections on Australia Day at Wagstaffe which Peta helped organise for the last two years.

"The Wagstaffe Hall, originally built by volunteers, is managed by the hall convenor supported by Association committee, overseeing regular and special event bookings.

"Big community events are the Australia Day Breakfast and Jazz Picnic, the Easter Trash and Treasure collection and an art show.

"Behind the scenes there is always a lot of work building bridges within and outside the community, lobbying Council, and government departments and Peta was tireless with her lobbying.

"She met with many Council officers and managed to make things happen.

"She persisted until the ferry made two return trips a day from Ettalong and she initiated the motion to bring community groups, Council and the NSW Government to the table to determine the best way forward to reinstate the ferry to Palm Beach when the channel became impassable.

"Mike Allsop, our new president, is now chair of that committee.

"There are still several ongoing projects on the table including obtaining better mobile phone coverage, liaising with Council and designers regarding Hardy's Bay Foreshore improvements, convincing National Parks we need restoration works at the Half Tides Rock track, and improving the Turo Park extension, all of which Peta has had a hand in."

Ms Follington thanked Ms Colebatch for her "tenacious and untiring efforts to keep a positive momentum to achieve what has been achieved, often against bureaucratic odds, and for simple things like starting meetings right on time and keeping them moving and for just being an excellent chairperson".

SOURCE:

Newsletter, 30 Jul 2019

Ian Bull, WTKCA

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